Happy Friday! Another week has zoomed by, and a brand new month will be here on Monday. I just can’t believe it! In an effort to savor the “little things” in life, I’m linking up today with Susanne to share some good things from my week.

1. The weather has been amazing. I have been longing for sunshine, and it is here at last. I was able to get outside a little bit every day this week, even on the days when we had rain.

2. Steven and I were able to take a long hike through the woods together. We were hunting morels, but we didn’t find any. A couple of friends who have found some passed them along to us. I cooked up a batch, and then Steven did another. His were dredged and seasoned better than mine and tasted amazing.

3. The concert choir that Shay is a part of at her college had its final performance of the semester. The girls and I, along with their grandma who was here visiting, were able to attend. I am so amazed with the talent these young people have! After the concert, we enjoyed a meal at a Mexican restaurant with one of Shay’s friends and his family. We had a great time.

4. I tackled one of my least favorite springtime jobs: weeding the flower beds. I still need to put down some new mulch and replace a couple of dead plants, but the beds are looking much better already. It won’t be long until the butterflies show up.

5. A hummingbird was spotted flitting around the front porch this week, so I got the hummingbird feeder filled and hung. I’m still waiting to catch the birds in action at the feeder.

Happy Friday! I’m linking up with Susanne to share some good things from my week. It’s a great exercise that forces me to slow down for a few minutes and think about the blessings in my life that I might otherwise take for granted.

1. Last weekend I returned home after spending ten days in Florida. I was there for a couple of weeks back in February when my mom had a health scare, and this was a follow-up visit to check on her. I am happy to report that her health is almost back to 100%. After suffering from an undiagnosed condition for several years, she finally found a doctor who identified the problem and offered a solution that worked. My mom is now able to eat anything she wants to eat and has the energy needed to continue her active lifestyle. We had a great time together doing whatever we wanted to do each day: shopping, relaxing by the pool, eating out, or just hanging around the house. Her improved health is a huge answer to prayer!

2. Resurrection Sunday is always one of my favorite days of the year. There’s nothing more uplifting to me than remembering that Christ’s victory over death means that we have the promise of eternal life with Him. Hallelujah! Our day started out early with a sunrise service at the county park. This was the first sunrise service since we’ve lived in the North that it wasn’t freezing outside; the weather was perfect! After the short sunrise service, we all went back to the church fellowship hall for a delicious breakfast followed by Sunday school and preaching service. That evening, our choir presented an Easter cantata. It was a very long day, but also a very blessed day.

3. Shay’s college had a four-day Easter break, so she was able to come home for the long weekend. We were able to get a family picture on Sunday before she headed back to school. Notice that I am now the shortest one in the family. 🙂
4. My in-laws arrived on Monday and are spending a few days with us. We always enjoy having them visit.

5. Spring has finally arrived! When we first moved to West Virginia, fall was my favorite season. After making it through a few cold, gray winters, spring is now my favorite time of the year. When I left for my trip to Florida, the trees were still pretty bare. It’s amazing how quickly things can change in just a couple of weeks. I’m looking forward to taking a hike with my camera this weekend and enjoying God’s creation.

I’m joining Susanne and sharing some blessings from this week. Feel free to link up.

1. My mom had a health emergency recently, and I spent a couple of weeks in Florida helping her as she recuperated. In spite of her spending several days in the hospital, tests had not revealed the root issue. She had an appointment with a doctor this week and believes that the cause for her health issues has now been identified and possibly corrected. She’s felt so much better the last few days. This is such HUGE answer to prayer!

2. After a couple of days of nonstop rain, we experienced some nasty weather on Wednesday morning. The weather alert on my phone notified us of tornado warnings in our area. The local schools had already decided to dismiss due to the forecast but then determined it would be better to keep the students inside the safety of the school buildings until the line of storms that included the severest weather had passed. That was a very good decision; buses sure don’t need to be on the road in those conditions. My children arrived safely home before noon, and the worst damage in our community was limited to power outages and downed tree limbs.

3. I spent one evening fellowshipping with some ladies from several other churches in our community. The theme of the evening was “Soup for the Soul.” We had a time of food (which included soup, of course!), fellowship, and singing. One of the ladies shared a devotional on how important it is that we make sure Christ has first place in our lives in the midst of the chaos brought on by our daily responsibilities.

4. It has become a rare thing these days to receive handwritten notes in the mail, so I was pleasantly surprised to get a sweet “thinking of you” card from one of my sisters. There is a big age difference between my older siblings and me, and we weren’t raised in the same home since we had different moms. I’m actually closer with my sisters now than I was growing up. It made my day to receive her card and read her words.

5. So many people in our community and church family have been fighting colds and viruses and dealing with diagnoses of heart conditions and cancer. My prayer list seems to get longer every day. I’m thankful that my husband and children are healthy and not battling a health condition. If you’ve been blessed with good health, thank God for it, and don’t take it for granted.

It’s been a few months since I’ve linked up with Susanne to share some of my favorite moments from the week, and I’ve missed this happy activity. It’s a great exercise for me to look more carefully for the “little” things in life and be thankful for them. Feel free to join in and share your blessings, too.

1. Steven and I were able to spend some time at a resort not far from home. The resort was practically empty, so it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We took a nice long walk on one of the nature trails, played a few games of ping pong, ate some delicious food, and just enjoyed being together.
2. We arrived home to a clean kitchen and a box of Shay’s freshly baked coconut chocolate chip cookies with a cute “Welcome Home” note attached. I have to admit that I wasn’t expecting the kids to keep the house clean without a reminder, but they did a great job of picking up after themselves. Oh me of little faith.

3. The ladies of our church gathered together for a evening of fellowship and fun. Nineteen ladies attended, and we enjoyed spending time together and lifting up one another’s needs in a sweet time of prayer. I’m excited to see what the Lord has in store for our church’s women’s ministry.

4. I haven’t bought any vintage Pyrex to add to my collection in several months, but I couldn’t pass up a few new-to-me pieces that I stumbled upon this week. My favorite find is the delphite blue 401 mixing bowl. I already have the 402, so now all I need is the 403 to complete the set.
5. I can’t leave the arrival of spring (officially at 6:45 this evening) off my list of faves. My first winter in the North wasn’t as bad as I had anticipated. I loved gazing at the pretty snowscapes and snuggling up in front of the fireplace, but I am so looking forward to spring! I’ve got my “welcome” flag flying.

I didn’t getting around to participating in the linkup last week because we were enjoying another round of house guests. I’m back today to share some blessings from this week and will include a few from last week, too. Thank you, Susanne, for hosting Friday’s Fave Five.

1. We just finished up a nice visit with Steven’s parents. His mom flew in early last week, and his dad arrived on Monday. The kids were excited to help their Papa celebrate his 79th birthday while he was here.

2. Tuesday evening was the monthly Ladies’ Night Out fellowship for the women in our church. One of the ladies gives a short devotional during the meeting, and it was my turn this month. Since we’ve only been at the church for two months and the ladies don’t know me that well, I decided to give my testimony. Hopefully it was an encouragement to someone who heard it. I enjoyed the yummy food, the special music, and the opportunity to get to know the ladies of our church a little bit better.

3. Case participated in his first 5K race and finished in third place in his age division with a time of 21:42. He has his first high school cross country race tomorrow. I think he was chomping on ice in the second picture.

4. Thanks to the the help of a friend from church, we’ve finally found a piano teacher for the girls here in West Virginia. Their teacher is a college instructor and has many years of experience both performing and giving lessons. She has a cheerful, outgoing personality. The girls each learned a lot from her during their first lesson. The only drawback is that it’s a three hour round trip drive. Finding a qualified piano teacher is a huge answer to prayer!

5. Steven stopped in an antique store on his way to the airport and picked up a couple of goodies for me. These 401 and 403 Spring Blossom mixing bowls are a nice addition to my Pyrex collection. I’m thankful for a husband who goes out of his way to do special things for me.

We have a busy weekend ahead of us. It starts tonight with football scrimmage for Case, his cross country race tomorrow, and the girls’ piano lessons tomorrow as well. Lots of time on the road. I hope your weekend is a safe and happy one.

Happy Friday! I’m linking up with Susanne today to share a few of my favorite things from this week.

1. It’s been two and a half weeks since we moved from Florida to West Virginia, and I feel like I’m finally starting to catch my breath. There were moments when it felt like I was losing my mind (like frantically spending fifteen minutes looking for my misplaced breakfast sandwich, only to have Steven tell me that I had already eaten it!). Catching up on my sleep has helped a lot.

2. I made it through the entire week without getting carsick. I’m fine if I’m the one behind the wheel, but I don’t do so well if I’m the passenger. Case likes to make fun of my moaning and groaning, but anyone else who has felt the effects of carsickness can sympathize with me. It’s been quite an experience getting used to the curvy mountain roads around here. Hopefully this, too, shall pass.

3. We’ve been having Vacation Bible School this week. I’ve been helping in the preschool class, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know the little people in our church.

4. I’m thankful that my firstborn survived her first plane ride. We took Shay to the airport last night, and she flew to Florida. She was super nervous about flying alone, but she was a brave girl. There were tears in my eyes as I watched her board the plane, but two hours later she texted me to let me know she had safely landed in Florida in spite of a thunderstorm. Her grandmas picked her up at the airport, and she was super surprised to see her best friend waiting for her at the baggage claim. My sixteen year old is spreading her wings.

5. Since arriving in West Virginia, we’ve been showered with love by our new church family. We’ve been blessed with home-cooked meals, sweet treats, veggies fresh from the garden, and baskets full of gifts. The welcome we’ve received couldn’t have been any warmer. It’s been a great beginning.

It’s December 31st. Tonight we’ll be ringing in 2012 at our church’s annual Watch Night service. There will be great singing, a message from our pastor, food, fellowship, and testimonies shared as we praise God for His goodness.

As I was thinking today about how fast this year has flown by, one of my favorite hymns came to mind. It sums up how I feel about 2011.

~~~~~~~~~~Great is Thy Faithfulness
by Thomas Chisholm

Refrain:
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Refrain

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Refrain

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Refrain
~~~~~~~~~~

No matter what may happen in the coming year, I know I can continue to count on my Saviour’s faithfulness! Happy New Year!

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 89:1